Snap
by Tanglepelt
Summary: The conclusion of the 'Blood and Tears' series- Lithuania, horrified by how Russia hurt Estonia and Latvia, makes a deal with him. This sets off a chain of events that turns the Baltics' already horrible situation into a terrifying nightmare. -USSR era-


Welcome to 'Snap', the third and final story in the 'Blood and Tears' series. If you haven't read 'Clouded Consciousness' or 'Audacious Insolence', you probably won't completely understand this story. I suggest reading them first.

This story **isn't** meant to be taken as yaoi.

Read the A/N after the story for the explanation of historical references and other notes.

Warning: language, violence, and torture.

Note: This story takes place in 1947

I do not own Hetalia.

...Since this was uploaded on Christmas Eve, think of it as a Christmas present for all my readers, XDD.  
>...Reviews would make an even better present! -Gets shot-<p>

* * *

><p>Snap<p>

Lithuania's shoulders shook as he walked to Russia's main office. Contrary to what one might assume, he was not shaking out of fear. He was shaking out of _anger. _Seeing both Estonia and Latvia hurt left a fire burning in his stomach. Images of the small blond's broken arm and the bespectacled boy's unconscious body caused the fire to spread, and he walked faster.

_If I just stayed here, he would have left them alone! Okay, maybe not Latvia, but he would never have gone after Estonia if I was around_. He cursed himself for leaving the two people he vowed to always protect. _How could I have been so stupid? _He hated himself at that moment, and bit his lip until he felt the skin break.

He stopped when he tasted blood, and looked up. He realized that he was in front of Russia's office, and shakily took a deep breath before knocking on the door.

It promptly opened, revealing Russia.

"Ah, my little Lithuania has returned. That is good." The larger man nodded and squeezed the brunet's shoulder, guiding him into the room. Once both of them were inside, he shut the door.

"Have a seat, my friend," said the violet-eyed man, gesturing to one of the chairs across from his desk.

Lithuania complied, wringing his hands.

"We have some important matters to discuss." Russia cracked his neck before sitting down. "How was your visit with America?"

"It was good, sir; he always treats me well."

"That is good. Be glad that you have fond memories of that month, _Toris_," his voice took on a menacing edge, "because you'll never see that capitalistic pig ever again."

"What?" Lithuania's body filled with ice, and he reflexively stiffened.

"That's right. As long as you remain the Lithuanian SSR, you will never leave this mansion."

Beneath the brunet's fear was a burning anger. _What gives him the right to treat me like his property; I belong to no one. I used to be one of the most powerful countries in Europe! _

"Why did you let me see America, then, if you were so adamant about me belonging to you?"

In the blink of an eye, Russia stood up and walked towards the smaller boy, his hand curled around his neck, applying just enough pressure to make him squirm. "Watch your tone," he said, the venom in his voice obvious. "I wanted you to see everything that ruins that idiot's country. Plus," he used his other hand to stroke Lithuania's face, "I realized that I wasn't spending as much time with Latvia and Estonia as I wanted to. I decided to fix that."

Lithuania's blue eyes widened in horror, and in recognition. _It's just a game to him; he thought that he could break me by showing me the freedom I lost. And it's not just me anymore; he's forcing the others to 'play' as well. _

When the older man finally released him, he said, "This has to stop; Latvia and Estonia don't deserve any of this."

"Oh?" Russia smirked.

Lithuania hated himself for this, but he resorted to begging. "Please!" he pleaded. "They're so young; they can't handle this!" He grabbed the taller man's hands

"And you can?" The Russian's smirk got larger.

"Yes! Yes I can! Please, just leave them alone!"

"But what if they misbehave, and need to be punished? Both of those boys have been very disrespectful while you were away," stated Russia, removing the brunet's hands.

"I'll take their punishments for them!" Lithuania blurted out. Though he knew it would be painful, he'd rather be the one to face Russia's anger than the others, especially since he had already gone through it many times. Just imagining Latvia's tiny body being beaten and whipped, his face twisted in agony, made his stomach turn. _Yes. It's better this way_.

"You will?" The violet-eyed man tilted his head. "That's…excellent." He clapped his hands. "There's just one condition."

"What is it?"

"Estonia and Latvia must be—how do the Americans say it?—kept out of the loop. We can't have them rebelling to protect you, can we?"

"No."

Lithuania was met with a slap across the face. "No, what?"

"No, _sir_," the brunet whispered, his face now aching.

"That's better, yes?" Russia smiled once more. "Now get out of my face before I change my mind."

"Yes, sir." Lithuania didn't need to be told twice. He ran out of the office and headed straight for the kitchen. It was almost lunch time, and he knew that if a meal wasn't prepared by 12:00, he would be punished.

Usually Estonia was on cooking duty, but since the boy was most likely still sleeping, Lithuania took it upon himself to improvise a meal. He only knew how to cook Lithuanian cuisine, naturally, but he knew that if he prepared even a single dish from his homeland, Russia would be furious.

Throwing whatever ingredients he could find in a large pot, the brunet quickly made soup. It looked nothing like any Lithuanian dish, so he assumed that it wouldn't 'offend' Russia in any way.

Once the soup was done, he poured it into three bowls. (He didn't want to disturb Estonia, so he didn't bother making enough for him.) He walked upstairs once more to let Latvia and Russia know that lunch was ready.

_Might as well get this over with. _Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door of Russia's office once more. He barely had time to move his hand back when it opened, revealing a smiling Russia.

"Um, lunch is ready, Mr. Russia."

"What are we having today, _Litva_?"

Lithuania winced at his name being said in Russian, but kept his face neutral. "Vegetable soup, sir."

"Ah, always being thoughtful! It is very cold today, is it not? The soup will warm us up. I am cold. So cold…" The last part was whispered, and Lithuania was sure that it was not meant for him.

"I will meet you downstairs; I have to get Latvia."

"_Nyet_, you will go downstairs, and _I _will get _Latvii_. We don't want him missing any more meals, do we?"

The smile fell from the taller man's face, and Lithuania swore that the hallway got twenty degrees colder. He knew exactly what the Russian was referring to, and he wrung his hands. Earlier in the year, Latvia had been so afraid of their captor that he'd refuse to eat meals with him. Instead of letting the small blond go hungry, Lithuania would bring scraps of food to his room, where he'd eat. Though he still got some nourishment, it wasn't enough, and he lost a lot of weight. This affected his ability to work, which made Russia angry. After three failed attempts and an equal amount of beatings, Latvia finally ate with everyone else. Since then, Russia purposely made the boy sit next to him, just to make him squirm.

Knowing that it was pointless to argue, Lithuania just nodded and did what he was told. Once he was downstairs, he brought the bowls into the dining room, setting them down in front of their places.

From his position, he heard muffled shouting, followed by a loud thump. Racing to see what happened, the brunet put a hand to his mouth when he saw Latvia sprawled out on the ground in front of the staircase, his face twisted in obvious pain. Lithuania had just enough time to move the boy out of the way before Russia calmly walked down the stairs, carrying a dazed Estonia in his arms.

"Why did you wake him?" Lithuania asked, a bit angry.

"Meal times are the only part of the day where we're all together. There is no reason for this one to miss them," the violet-eyed man answered.

"And why did you throw Latvia down the stairs?" He wasn't completely sure if this was what happened, but it seemed to be a logical guess.

"He told me he wasn't going to walk downstairs. I only respected his wishes."

Lithuania turned to look at the youngest of their trio. He was cradling his injured arm, tears spilling from his eyes. When they met the brunet's, they narrowed in obvious coldness.

"Now then," said Russia, his voice cheerful. "Let's eat!"

Lithuania held his hand in front of Latvia, ready to help him to his feet, but the small blond turned away and shakily got up on his own. He then walked to the dining room. The eldest Baltic followed him.

Once they were all seated, Lithuania realized that there was a problem. "Mr. Russia, I didn't know Estonia was eating with us, so I only prepared lunch for you, Latvia, and myself."

"That is okay; he can share mine," responded the large man.

"Please," Estonia whispered, "I don't think I can eat anything; I feel so nauseous."

"_Nyet_! You'll grow weak if you don't eat."

"Mr. Russia, he's right. He has a concussion; he's going to feel nauseous for some time," Lithuania replied.

"He will eat." Russia forced Estonia's mouth open with one hand and used the other to feed him.

After a few minutes, the bespectacled boy's eyes began to water. "Please, stop," he choked. "I…I feel…sick. I think I'm going to…"

The Russian let him go just as he leaned over and vomited on the floor.

"I don't think he likes your cooking very much, Litva," the violet-eyed man laughed.

"L-look what you've d-done!" Latvia stuttered, the anger obvious in his pale blue eyes.

"Latvia, _shut up_," snapped Russia. "Or better yet, clean this mess up!"

"N-no! You should clean it; you're the one who made him sick!"

The look the older man gave him was one of pure rage. However, instead of hitting the boy, he turned to Lithuania. "You!" he barked. "Clean up the mess. Lock Latvia and Estonia in their room, and meet me back here."

"Yes, sir." His heart sank; he didn't think that he'd have to put his deal with Russia into practice so soon. _It can't be helped; Latvia just can't keep his mouth shut. _He was surprised with how the small blond stood his ground. Suddenly, a theory hit him. _Latvia said that Estonia stuck up for him yesterday. Maybe he was trying to return the favor. _

A stinging pain on his face brought him back to reality. "You're wasting time, my little Lithuania," said Russia, tapping his foot.

"Sorry, sir." He turned to his two companions. "Come on, let's go upstairs. You'll get to sleep more, Estonia."

The middle Baltic nodded, squinting. "It's too bright down here," he muttered. "Come along, Latvia."

The youngest of their group nodded, grabbing his friend's hand. Lithuania followed them to their room. Once both of the younger boys walked inside, he shut the door, turning the lock. After that, the brunet walked downstairs and proceeded to clean up the vomit while Russia watched, a tiny smile on his face.

"Let's go to the basement, shall we?" he whispered.

Though all he wanted to do was scream and run away, the eldest Baltic held his head high and walked towards the (unfortunately) familiar basement door.

Once he was downstairs, Russia followed, closing the door behind him and turning on the lights.

Lithuania winced at the whip that hung on a hook on one wall, mentally preparing himself for the pain that was to come.

"Strip," Russia ordered. "That uniform of yours is expensive; I don't want any blood on it."

"Yes, sir." Blinking away tears, the brunet slowly removed all his clothes, hating the fact that he was completely naked in front of the violet-eyed man.

"You know what happens next, yes?" Russia asked, smirking, grabbing the whip and uncurling it.

Lithuania bit his lip to keep from crying; he wouldn't give his tormentor the satisfaction. He turned towards the wall, pressing his hands against it.

"Stupid little Latvia's comments have earned you twenty lashes."

Lithuania finally let the tears fall when the whip whistled down onto his back, ripping open old scars and creating new ones.

/

Lithuania didn't realize he had fallen to the floor until Russia kneeled down, gently grabbing his tear-stained face. "You didn't scream this time. I was so disappointed." He set the bloody whip on the floor and stood up, walking over to a cabinet. He rifled around in it for awhile until he found what he was looking for. He walked back over to where the brunet was sprawled out and kneeled down in front of him once more.

"Let me fix you up. We don't want dear Latvia and Estonia discovering your act of selflessness." The last few words were said in a mocking tone.

Lithuania only blinked, falling back into his semiconscious daze. He vaguely felt something nice and cold on his back, soothing the burning skin. He sensed that he was being lifted into a sitting position so that bandages were gently wrapped around him, and did not resist. He softly smiled when he felt his clothes being put back on, and his tears being wiped away.

"Thanks, _Estija_," he murmured. He opened his eyes, expecting to see the bespectacled boy's concerned navy ones. His body filled with ice when he was met with cold violet instead.

"Can you walk?"

Now fully coherent, Lithuania replied with a weak, "I'll try, sir." Wincing, he slowly stood up, his back on fire. "Yes."

"Good. I expect you to make dinner tonight. Just for us two, though; after the horrid display at lunch, Latvia and Estonia don't deserve it. And you still need to finish cleaning the second floor."

"Yes, sir." The thought of working made tears prick the corners of his eyes. However, some strength returned to him when his two friends' faces appeared in his mind. _I'm saving them from so much pain. That's all that matters._

Sighing, Lithuania slowly walked upstairs.

/

It had been a month since Lithuania made his 'deal' with Russia, and it was starting to take a toll on him. Since Latvia and Estonia were kept in the dark, they had no idea that every time they said or did something that angered the violet-eyed man, he'd take it out on the brunet.

Since this happened a lot, the large man quickly grew tired of whipping Lithuania. Instead, he beat him with his (in)famous faucet pipe, burnt his shoulders and back (never his face) with a lighter that he supposedly stole from America during the Second World War, or, most recently, carved Cyrillic words into his chest, stomach, and upper arms.

Because of this treatment, the eldest Baltic was becoming more and more distant from his two friends. He supposed they thought he was being cold because he was jealous of their closeness, which saddened him.

He let those thoughts overtake him when he waited for the tub to fill with water for a bath. Stripping down to his underwear, he looked at himself in the mirror, disgusted with what he saw. _You used to be so great. Now, you're just the toy of a madman! _

He didn't hear the door open until it was too late.

"Hey, Lithuania, I just need—" Latvia let the end of his sentence trail off when he saw the brunet's scarred body. "L-Lithuania?" He walked closer to the older boy, placing his hand on top of one of the words carved into his chest. They said nothing for several seconds, just staring at each other.

"N-now I understand," the small blond murmured.

Suddenly, he wrapped his uninjured arm around the taller boy, hugging him with a fierceness that he didn't expect.

This hurt the healing gashes on Lithuania's back, but he didn't care. He felt something wet on his chest and realized that Latvia was crying.

"Shh, _Latvija_, it's okay; don't cry." The eldest Baltic rubbed circles on the youngest's back, trying to calm him down.

"Hey, Raivis? Are you okay?"

Lithuania blinked the tears out of his eyes just as Estonia walked into the bathroom.

He looked at Russia's 'handiwork', his eyes widening. Saying nothing, he embraced the brunet as well.

"That, that _monster_!" he whispered harshly, his eyes narrowed in anger.

"Shh, Estonia, it's okay."

The three of them clung to each other until they felt water on the floor.

Lithuania swore, turning off the faucet. He then grabbed a towel and wiped up all the excess water. Letting some of the water in the tub drain out, he explained, "I was planning on taking a bath when you showed up."

Estonia nodded, quietly closing the door. "You can have your bath, but we're staying with you."

"Y-yeah," Latvia agreed. "We just need to know what happened."

"Fine." Lithuania's heart filled with warmth for his two friends. "But would you mind, um, looking away when I…"

"Definitely," Estonia answered. He and Latvia turned around when the brunet removed the last bit of clothing, only returning to their original positions when he was in the tub.

As he told the story of making his deal with Russia, and what followed, the neutral expressions of his companions turned into ones of hatred and rage. He had spared no details, and Latvia in particular looked positively disgusted.

However, he looked at the brunet with a newfound respect. "You endured this alone for so long, and I've been so cold to you. Yet you've never complained."

Estonia nodded, agreeing. "This can't go on, though. From now on, if we mess up, we'll ask Russia to punish us."

"But—"

"Don't argue with us, _Leedu, _you've been through enough," the middle Baltic replied.

Seeing as there was no way to persuade his friends otherwise, Lithuania nodded. "Fine."

After a few more minutes of relaxing, Estonia spoke. "We should leave before Russia looks for us."

Latvia nodded, and after a quick goodbye, they left.

Once they were gone, Lithuania closed his eyes, and cried. But this time, it was out of happiness.

/

Lithuania and the other Baltics were in the middle of making dinner when Russia stormed into the room, reeking of vodka.

"You little shit!" he yelled, grabbing the brunet's shoulders and roughly shaking him. "You broke our deal!"

"I'm sorry!" exclaimed Lithuania. "It was an accident."

"No matter," he smirked. "This time, _you _are the one who needs to be punished."

"Fine! Beat me, whip me, do whatever you want!"

"I don't think so!" Russia's smile got larger. He released Lithuania, but roughly grabbed Latvia, who cried out in both pain and surprise. "Since punishments done to you aren't enough to break you, let's see if watching this one," he violently shook the already trembling boy, "get hurt does."

"No!" yelled Estonia.

"Stay out of this!" the violet-eyed man shot back. "You too, Lithuania! If you try to interfere, I'll make this worse for dear Latvia."

"Please! Leave him alone!" begged Lithuania.

"See? It's already working!"

Without any warning, he slammed the small blond into the wall, letting him crumple to the ground, sobbing. Russia kneeled down to his level, pulling the youngest Baltic's broken arm from its sling.

"I've always liked your screams the best, Raivis," he murmured, maneuvering his arm so that it was lying flat on the ground. He smirked, standing up. Before Latvia could even move, Russia brought his foot down on his almost-healed arm twice, eliciting an inhuman scream from the boy.

Lithuania wanted nothing more than to strangle Russia with his own scarf, but kept still, for Latvia's sake. He knew the older man wasn't playing around when he threatened to hurt the small blond more if he or Estonia stepped in.

"You sick monster!" Latvia spat, tears pouring down his face. "I hate you, and this mansion, and the damn USSR!"

Lithuania's eyes widened. _No, Latvia! Don't try to be strong; he'll hurt you more!_

The youngest Baltic realized this, and cried, "Oh, no! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

But the damage was already done. Letting the smile drop off his face, Russia gripped his victim's hair and dragged him over to the still-running stove.

"You think I'm a monster?" he snarled, hoisting him to his feet by the hand woven into his hair. "You haven't seen 'monstrous' yet!"

Suddenly, he slammed the left side of the boy's face into the front burner.

More animalistic screams tore from Latvia's throat, and Estonia sank to the floor, crying.

Lithuania ran halfway to his small friend, but stopped when Russia spoke. "Take one more step, _Toris_, and I'll kill him!"

"You're bluffing," rasped Estonia. "We're nations; we can't die unless our country fades away!"

"That's where you're wrong, _Eduard_," the violet-eyed man sneered, still pressing Latvia's face into the burner. "Two things need to happen for a nation to die in a way other than how Rome did. One: only a nation can kill another nation, and two: their heart must be ripped from their body. While they're still conscious. Would you like to see that, Eduard? You were always so interested in science." He pulled Latvia's head up, exposing the angry, red burn on his face. "He doesn't even deserve to be a nation, anyways; he's so small and weak. Someone better will replace him."

"Shut up!" snarled Estonia, standing up. Tears still dripped down his face, and he clenched his fists. "Just shut up!"

Lithuania's entire body shook, his heart pounding. _Please, _he prayed, _please let Latvia escape. He's just a child; he doesn't deserve to die!_

"No, Eduard; he's right."

Both Estonia and Lithuania gasped at Latvia's weak voice. "I'm a worthless failure. Someone else could probably be a better Latvia than I ever was. If it's my time to die, so be it." He started to cry. "I just don't want both of you to see. Just get out of here while you still can. Eduard, Toris, I love both of you; I couldn't have asked for better friends."

"Shut up!" thundered Russia, slamming his face into the burner once more. This time, it was his lips and chin that were burnt.

Unable to scream, Latvia thrashed around, sobbing.

"And you know," the large man whispered, "I _was_ bluffing. Nations can't be killed, unless their country fades away, like Estonia stated. Since you're so much fun to play with, I'll wait until you heal, then have some more fun with you! It'll be great!"

Lithuania, who was standing close enough to Russia, heard the entire thing. Enraged, he grabbed the frying pan that rested on the counter and swung it forward, hitting the back of Russia's head with as much force as possible.

The tall man fell unconscious before he could make a sound. Dropping the makeshift weapon, Lithuania caught Latvia before he fell, embracing him fiercely.

The youngest Baltic trembled in the brunet's arms, his eyes wide with shock. His breathing sped up, and he began to hyperventilate.

"Shh, Raivis, you're safe. He won't hurt you now." Lithuania lowered himself to the ground, pulling the small blond into his lap. However, this didn't calm him down, and he continued to sob.

"Estonia, what should I do?" When he got no answer, he looked at the bespectacled boy. "Estonia?"

The middle Baltic's face was contorted with rage. Suddenly, he picked up the frying pan Lithuania dropped and kneeled down next to Russia's unconscious form. Screaming, he brought it down on the large man's head. Afterwards, it slipped out of his hands, and he sobbed. "Why? Why would you hurt Raivis? He did nothing! It's not fair!"

Lithuania's heart broke for the Estonian. _I always wanted him to show more emotion, but this isn't what I meant! _

Looking down, he noticed that Latvia was no longer near him. The small blond crawled over to Estonia and embraced him with his good arm, burying his face in his shirt.

Estonia stopped crying and returned the embrace. He hugged the boy with an iron grip, as though he was going to disappear at any moment. After a few moments, he began to softly sing in Estonian, rocking the small blond back and forth.

Lithuania knew that Latvia probably couldn't understand any of the words, but Estonia's smooth voice had a calming effect on him. His shaking ceased, and his breathing went back to normal.

While the taller of the blonds was singing, Lithuania stood up, walking to the refrigerator. He opened the door and pulled out a half-empty bottle of vodka. Afterwards, he opened it and walked back to where Russia lay. He kneeled down, placing the bottle in the older man's grasp.

"He'll think he passed out from drinking," Lithuania explained to Estonia, who looked somewhat confused. "There's a world meeting tomorrow—you know how he likes to make us go with him to show the 'unity' of the Soviet Union—and I want him to be in a good mood. For our sake."

Estonia nodded, grimly smiling. "Good idea."

He gathered Latvia into his arms and stood up. Lithuania did the same, and they both walked back to their room.

/

After Latvia's injuries were taken care of to the best of Lithuania's and Estonia's abilities, they got into their pajamas (and helped Latvia with his), and climbed into their shared bed, wrapping the thin blankets around them.

As time passed, they clung to each other, with Estonia holding Latvia to his chest, and Lithuania doing the same to the middle Baltic. He noticed Estonia gently kiss the small blond's forehead, and he smiled.

That night, all three Baltics cried themselves to sleep. Latvia cried because he was in pain, and cried more because he thought he was weak for showing that pain. Estonia cried for Latvia, wishing that Russia had gone after him instead. Finally, Lithuania cried, not for himself, nor for the others, but for Russia. He knew that the large man's insanity and alcoholism were caused by a bitter loneliness and his turbulent history, and maybe, just maybe if he had more friends during his early days, he'd be less violent towards his subordinates.

When the three could cry no more, they fell into an uneasy sleep.

/

Iceland stared blankly at the wall while France and England argued _yet again_. He was happy to be at the world meeting, but wished that the petty fighting would stop and the speakers were able to continue. When America joined the argument, the silver-haired boy rolled his eyes and gave up.

Somehow, his gaze drifted over to the Eastern Bloc side of the table. Russia looked like he had a horrible hangover (which was probably true), and Hungary, Poland, and Prussia (who was now referred to as the GDR), three of the USSR's satellite states, looked thin, and their eyes were dark. Belarus and Ukraine sat next to each other, their lips pursed and their faces pale. However, the three Baltics looked the worst. All three—most notably Latvia—looked underweight. Lithuania sat at the edge of his chair, as though it hurt to have his back touching it, and Estonia had dark circles under his eyes, his hands shaking. Latvia sat on his lap, and this was the person Iceland found himself gawking (no, _discreetly glancing_, he told himself) at.

The small blond's left arm was in a sling, and there were painful-looking burns on the side of his face and his lips.

As soon as their eyes met, Latvia looked away, slightly shaking. As the meeting went on, Iceland noticed that Russia pulled the tiny boy off of Estonia's lap and onto his own, stroking his hair.

Latvia said nothing, but Iceland saw that he was crying. For some reason, this caused anger to shoot through his body. _Why isn't anyone doing anything? Does no one care about him? They must have seen his arm and face; it's so obvious that Russia hurt him._

He was snapped out of his thoughts when Finland tapped him on the shoulder. "The meeting is over. Everyone's going to the cafeteria for some snacks, then getting on their planes back home."

Iceland nodded. He wasn't very hungry, but he wanted to stretch his legs before the flight back to Reykjavik. He exited the meeting room and began to walk around the conference center.

He let his mind wander, thinking about winter, his puffin, and his favorite licorice. He was jolted back to reality when he felt someone knock into him.

"I'm sorry," he said, looking to see who he ran into. He stifled a gasp when he realized it was Latvia.

The shorter boy's eyes widened, tears filling them, and he wrung his hands. "N-no, that's okay, Mr. Iceland; I was being stupid and didn't look where I was going."

_What? _Iceland was shocked that the small blond, who was only a year younger than him, addressed him so formally. _He's acting as though he's inferior to me. _Suddenly, it dawned on him. _Russia's probably made him think that he _was _inferior to everyone else._

That thought made Iceland drop his reserved nature for a second. Without thinking, he grabbed the youngest Baltic, pulling him into an embrace.

At first, Latvia squirmed, but after a few seconds, he relaxed, burying his face in the Nordic boy's shirt.

Suddenly, Iceland felt a stinging pain on the side of his face, and stumbled backwards. In the blink of an eye, Latvia was ripped from his grasp, eliciting a cry from the younger boy.

The silver-haired boy looked up to see Russia pull Latvia towards him, his hand buried in the blond's thick hair.

"The Latvian SSR is mine," he said coldly, looking at Iceland with contempt. "Stay away from him."

Iceland could only watch as the sobbing boy was dragged away by his hair.

"Iceland," said Norway, walking up to him. "I was wondering where you went. What was that all abo—" He let the end of his question trail off when he saw his brother's face. "Who slapped you?"

"Russia," Iceland replied. Remembering Latvia's terrified face, he blurted out, "We need to have another meeting!"

"Huh? Why?" Norway looked a bit surprised.

"Russia's hurting the Baltics; it's obvious he is. They're nations too; it's not right that we're just sitting back and letting this happen to them."

Norway gently put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Everyone knows that Russia mistreats his subordinates. There's really nothing we can do about it."

"But they're our friends!" Iceland persisted. "Finland said that Estonia was his best friend; I'm pretty sure he's mad that he's being treated like garbage."

"What do you want us to do, Iceland?"

"We don't have to do anything; I just think we—and a few of the Baltics' friends—should discuss this."

Seeing that nothing would convince Iceland otherwise, Norway sighed. "I'm pretty sure Poland is still in the cafeteria. So are America and Canada. I can get Finland before he goes back to Helsinki. Meet us in the conference room we were in before."

"Thank you." He bowed his head, a gesture he learned from watching Japan, and ran off to find the North American twins and the flamboyant Pole.

He was in luck. America was sitting with Canada, and Poland was at the table in front of theirs.

Seeing no other nations in the cafeteria, he tapped the three on their shoulders.

"'Sup, Iceland!" exclaimed America. "Haven't seen you for awhile!"

"Hello," Canada softly echoed.

"So, like, what do you want?" Poland asked, flipping his soft hair.

"Norway, Finland, and I were going to have a…special meeting…and we wanted you three to attend."

"What sort of meeting?" asked America's twin, whose name Iceland forgot for a second.

"We need to discuss the situation of the Baltic nations."

All three looked at him.

"What?" asked America.

"It's obvious that Russia's hurting them, and it needs to stop."

"You don't think I, like, know that?" Poland's green eyes were filled with pain. "I'm part of the Eastern Bloc; I've seen what he's done to Liet. Hell, I've, like, felt what he felt a few times. It's not cool." He shook his head. "I'll come to your little meeting, but I'm telling you, you totally can't do anything."

"We're not going to do anything; we're just going to discuss this."

"Fine," sighed Poland.

"Count me in!" Though America gave a thumbs up, his eyes were steely. "I'll take any chance I get to bad mouth that communist."

"The Baltics notice me," Canada softly added, "I want to do something for them."

"Thank you." Iceland's eyes softened.

When all four of them arrived in the meeting room, Iceland noticed that Finland and Norway were already there. They turned to him, looking expectantly.

Not used to leading a meeting, he cleared his throat. "We're all here to discuss the situation of the Baltic nations. Does anyone want to say anything to begin?"

Finland nodded. "Estonia is a very good friend of mine," he began. "Since his country became a part of the Soviet Union, I've noticed some changes in him at the world meetings. Though he's always been quite reserved, I could sense that there was something wrong. This meeting proved it for me. His eyes were dull, and he was shaking. However, I could sense that he became more protective of Latvia, which is good."

Murmurs of agreement echoed around their table.

After they died down, Poland spoke up. "I still don't think this meeting will, like, do anything. But let me tell you something about Liet. He and I once were, like, totally one of the most powerful nations in Europe. We even beat up _Prussia _once! To see him reduced to being, like, Russia's _property_ is disgusting. I've seen the scars on his back. I know what Russia's been doing to him." He took a deep breath. "However, I also know that nothing can be done. Liet's, like, strong; he'll pull through."

"What are you saying?" This time, America spoke. He stood up, facing the blond. "He was your best friend, and you just want to leave him at the mercy of _Russia_? I've got news for you, _Feliks_, I saw the scars too! I know he was strong when he and you were a part of the Commonwealth, but he's a person. And a person can only take so much. It took him forever to stop calling me 'sir' and jumping whenever I put a hand on his shoulder. One night, he even cried in my arms. He's _hurt_."

"What do you want me to do, America?" Poland shot back. "Start a war with Russia? I'm sorry, but I can't, like, do that to my people."

"If you're fighting for your friends, then a war is worth it!"

"_Alfred_! Stop!" Everyone looked at Canada, surprised at his outburst. "I know you want to help, to be Lithuania's hero, but you can't afford to start a war! Things between you and Russia are already extremely tense, and we just ended a war a few years ago. Think of your people!"

"But what about Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia?" Though the North American nation still argued, he sat down. "Those burns on Latvia's face looked fresh; they were inflicted recently. Just imagine what Russia did to burn him that severely! And his arm! I know he's a pretty clumsy kid, but I don't think he fell down the stairs."

He bowed his head. "I just can't stand to see them hurt; it's sickening."

"I know." Poland put a hand on his shoulder. "You're a good guy, America. But it's, like, impossible to be everyone's hero. Just believe me when I tell you that Liet's a fighter. He won't go down easily, that's for sure." He chuckled. "He's probably going to be the first one to, like, rebel."

He stood up. "I hate to cut this short, but I've already, like, kept my pilot waiting long enough. I bet the poor guy is totally mad!"

"That's okay," stated Norway, standing as well. "We're done here anyways."

Soon, the others left the room, leaving Iceland, Norway, and Finland.

"Now, do you see?" inquired the Norwegian.

Iceland nodded. "I understand." Though it saddened him greatly, he realized that the older nations were right.

Both Norway and Finland put a hand on each shoulder, and guided him out of the room.

_I'm sorry, Latvia. _

/

**2011. Livonian Coast, Latvia.**

Sealand happily leapt onto the couch in Latvia's home. Sweden had let him spend a week there, which made the small micronation giddy. It was only his first day with his friend, and he spent some time looking around his house. Lithuania, who was there to drop off some of his native food as a gift, sat in the kitchen, drinking coffee and reading a book.

At first, Sealand was surprised to find the house rather tiny, smaller than Sweden's or (that jerk) England's. After the initial surprise, he shrugged, guessing that since Latvia was a very small person, it was only natural he'd live in a small house.

Latvia was sitting on the couch next to him, so Sealand thought it would be fun to start a play-wrestling match. During the Nordic nations' frequent get-togethers, Denmark would always teach him new moves.

Keeping quiet to surprise the jumpy boy, Sealand waited until just the right moment to push him off of the couch. "Haha! I got you now!"

Latvia yelped and started to struggle. Thinking that he was playing along, the younger boy sat on his chest, pinning his arms above his head.

He was shocked when his friend started crying. "I'm sorry, sir! Whatever I said that offended you was unintentional! Just let me go, please!"

Sickened and confused, Sealand released Latvia, who ran upstairs to his room, slamming the door behind him.

He turned to Lithuania, who had walked into the room to see what was going on.

"Why did he cry? It was just wrestling."

The brunet gestured for the smaller boy to follow him into the kitchen.

"You heard of the Soviet Union, right?"

"Uh-huh!" Sealand was proud to show off his knowledge. "That was when Russia forced you guys to live with him, Belarus, and Ukraine. Prussia, Hungary, and Poland were called 'satellite states', so they didn't live with you guys."

"You're a smart one." Lithuania ruffled his hair. "But it was so much more than that." His expression grew serious. "Just read this. You'll understand Latvia's actions more." He handed the boy an old, leather-bound book.

"What is it?" asked Sealand, intrigued.

"My journal from the USSR era." Saying nothing more, the eldest Baltic returned to his coffee.

Walking back to the living room, Sealand plopped down on the couch and began to read.

The farther he got into the book, the more disgusted he got. With each heartwrenching entry, there was a sketch drawn by Lithuania. The brunet was a good artist, which made the pictures even more disturbing. He saw Estonia after Russia beat him with a faucet pipe, Lithuania himself after being whipped, and worst of all, Latvia after his arm was broken and his face was burned.

Sealand's eyes got watery, and he let the book drop from his hands, crying into his knees.

After he composed himself, he picked up the book and continued to read, learning the horrors of Siberia and the kolkhozes, the bravery of the Forest Brothers, and the joy of independence.

After he was finished, he wiped his eyes and walked back into the kitchen, where Lithuania was waiting for him.

"I understand," he said, handing the book back to him. "I'm going to kill him! Russia is dead!"

Lithuania smiled sadly, once again ruffling the boy's hair. "Russia was…insane…during that era. However, he's trying to get better. Now that his government is stabilized, he'll be a much better person."

"But he hurt you! He hurt you badly!"

"I know. But times change, and years go by in the blink of an eye. If we cannot all learn to live and work together, what is the point in living forever?"

Sealand pondered this. He still hated Russia, but he would listen to Lithuania and not try to kill him the next time he saw him. Not this time, at least.

He thought of the drawing of Latvia, and a fierce protective desire bubbled through him. "I'll protect him!" he said, his eyes completely serious. "No one will hurt him again; I'll be his hero!"

Lithuania's head snapped up. "America," he murmured.

"Yeah! Like America!" He smiled and gave the brunet a thumbs-up.

Racing upstairs, he flung open Latvia's door and grabbed his friend tightly, pulling him close. "You're my best friend, Raivis. I'll protect you forever!"

Latvia blinked the tears out of his eyes and embraced the smaller boy in return.

"Thank you."

"Now come on! Let's get Lithuania to make us some lunch!" Releasing the skinnier boy, he grabbed his hand, pulling him downstairs.

/

Lithuania smiled as he saw Sealand pulling Latvia down the stairs, begging for some food. His heart grew warm when he noticed the youngest Baltic smiling, his eyes focused only on his enthusiastic friend.

End.

* * *

><p>Hopefully, that wasn't too horrible... (I hope everyone was in-character...)<p>

Translations:  
><strong>Litva: <strong>Lithuania _(Russian)  
><em>**Latvii: **Latvia _(Russian)  
><em>**Estija**: Estonia _(Lithuanian)_  
><strong>Latvija<strong>: Latvia _(Lithuanian)  
><em>**Leedu: **Lithuania _(Estonian)_

**Historical references:**

I used Iceland as the character who wanted to help the Baltics because, besides America, his country was the first to recognize the Baltics as independent nations when they broke free from the Soviet Union. (Hopefully, he wasn't too out of character; I'm not used to writing him.)

The 'Commonwealth' America mentioned was referring to the 'Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth'.

"'Sup, Iceland! Haven't seen you for awhile!" -During WWII, Allied soldiers occupied Iceland to prevent it from falling under Nazi Germany's control. In my head, America sometimes visited the country during this time.

"He's probably going to be the first one to, like, rebel." Lithuania was the first of the Baltics to break free from the Soviet Union, which is what Poland's quote is referencing. (Le gasp; he's psychic, XDD.) Lithuania's rebellions were bloody, risky, and showy compared to Estonia's discreet, calculated, and bloodless ones. (The Latvian rebellions were somewhere in between.)

**Other notes (Some stuff is my head-canon, XD):**

Since his country started the 'Singing Revolution', I've always envisioned Estonia having a good singing voice. (Which is why he sings to Latvia in this story.)

Because of the book _Between Shades of Gray _(it's so good! Read it! XDD), I can picture Lithuania as an artist. (Especially one who draws.)

In my mind, countries call each other by their human names only when they become extremely close friends. (Or in Russia's case, using human names to be condescending or threatening, XD.)

I've always pictured Latvia as being underweight. (Which is why I described him as being skinnier than Sealand.)

I do support the 'Prussia becomes the GDR' theory.

(Referring to the bath scene) I know all three Baltics are guys, but after having to strip in front of Russia so many times, I'm pretty sure Lithuania would want to feel in control over who sees him naked. (Which is why I made him tell Latvia and Estonia to turn around when he's undressing.)

(Referring to Latvia's house) In my mind, each country gets their own house. Since (in my head-canon) the 'Soviet Union house' was a mansion, and Latvia was tortured there, in this story, I figured that he'd want a small house. (Plus, it just seemed to suit him, XD.) As for the location, I chose the 'Livonian Coast' area (I didn't do much research on specific towns, so I didn't specify where he lived) because it is described as being 'peaceful' and 'untouched', having beautiful white-sand beaches. According to my research, the typical Latvian enjoys nature. Since Raivis is Latvia personified, I figure he'd love nature too. (Plus, I can see him living in a rural area more than living in a big city like Riga. But that's just me. -Shrugs-.)

Going back to the concept of the 'Soviet Union mansion', I picture it as being gigantic. (Which is why even though Belarus, Ukraine, and the other nations that were annexed by the USSR [the ones that don't have a Hetalia personification] live there, they weren't seen in the story.) I picture the Baltics having their side of the mansion, while the others have their own side.

Wow! That was a really long author's note!

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the story, and this short series.


End file.
